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Coping as a left-hander

Coping as a left-hander

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Old 07-04-2010, 08:56 PM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by Leftie
I am fairly new to patchwork and quilting but very keen to learn. I have my cutting board and rotary cutter but am having difficulties getting to grips with it as a left hander - as usual, everything is produced for right handed people. Any hints please to help me use my new equipment? Many thanks.
I, too, am a lefty and have had to learn to adapt. I hold the rotary cutter in my left hand and the ruler with my right. When I want to make my first clean cut, my fabric lays on my cutting board with the bulk of the fabric towards the right and I square up my fabric. Then to begin cutting strips I have to turn the fabric the opposite direction (the bulk facing left) and use my ruler as a cutting guide not the mat. That may not be the correct way but it's easiest for me. I also need to be sure that at least 3 fingers and my palm are holding my ruler straight. It will take time to find the best way for you but you'll get the hang of it. Don't get frustrated. It's practice that will help you as you continue. The other issue I have is when I have layed out my blocks to get ready to cut. If I don't label them I have a tendency to sew the blocks on the opposite side. Hang in there.
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Old 07-05-2010, 04:03 AM
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i am leftie but am ambidextrous with a rotary cutter
practice with scraps doesnt take long
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Old 07-05-2010, 04:15 AM
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i'm right handed but have trained myself to cut with my left hand, too. i use the plain Olfa cutters with no problems at all.

the blue cutter described above is a Dritz. that also works just as well for me in either hand.

my Fiskars cutters don't seem to work as well (for me) in my left hand.
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Old 07-05-2010, 06:33 AM
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I too am a lefty........... adapt, adapt that's the key word. With time you will learn how to do these things in a right handed world. Look at it this way.

Left handed people are the only people in their right mind.

I also knit and crochet left handed and dirve everyone nuts around me...... lol.
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Old 07-05-2010, 06:37 AM
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I'm a lefty. I just don't think about it. Doesn't seem to matter with quilting.
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Old 07-05-2010, 06:39 AM
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Also a leftie- I can do certain things with both L & R hands, but sometimes I find things impossible to do...?! lol!

I say figure out which things you can do only with each hand, and buy tools accordingly. For instance: My cheap fiskars cutter will work in either hand.

Good luck!
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Old 07-05-2010, 06:43 AM
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I'm a lefty and use an Olfa rotary cutter. It is universal and can be used either way. All rotary cutters I've seen were universal.
I find it hard to believe that companies would make rotary cutters that would be for right handed people only.
Seems this would restrict sales. Companies are even making scissors universal so not to restrict use so they can sell to the
overall public.
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Old 07-05-2010, 02:59 PM
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Oh I sympathize with you though I am not left handed. They do make sissors and rotary cutters for left handed people which would be well worth the investment.
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Old 07-05-2010, 07:59 PM
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I write and eat left handed and cut and sew right handed, can cut with rotary cutter with either hand. I don't find it much of a problem. My mom always just gave me something to do and Icould do it however it worked best for me. The school tried to get me to do everything right handed until my father paid them a visit and told them to knock it off, he didn't care which hand I used as long as I got the job done! Both parents were right handed but my brother was a definite lefty, I am a mixture, and my sister was a definite righty. None of our five kids are lefties.
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Old 07-05-2010, 08:25 PM
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I am a lefty too! I learned to do things right handed. Used right handed scissors upside down etc. Then I got left handed scissors and had to learn all over again! I have left handed scissors and a rotary cutter that you just reverse the blade.
When I get a pattern that has illustrations on how to cut up a fat quarter, for example, I have to reverse it in my mind to be able to cut it out without going through some interesting contortions! I learned to crochet by using a book that had drawing of the hands doing the stitches and placing it in front of a mirror! Then followed the mirror image to do the stitches.
Don't give up you will find a way that works for you.
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